Conductor s ticket-case



(No Model.) I 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

.. S. ENGEL.

v GONDUOTORS TICKET CASE. NQ.3177,447.. Patented'May 5, 1885.

J2 20 r 22 ens.

(No Model.) 2 S he8 tS-Sheet 2.

Y S. ENGEL.

GONDUGTIORS TICKET CASE.

No. 317,447. Patented May 5', 1885.

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2 2 07) egg H. FETERS, "who-Lithographer, Walhinglnn. D. C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL ENGEL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO MYRTILLA E. ENGEL AND MOBTEFIORE N. ENGEL, BOTH OF SAME PLACE, AND FLORIAM SE- IXAS, OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA.

' CONDUCTORS TICKET-CASE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 317,447, dated May 5, 1885.

Application filed September 13, 1884. (No model.)

1'0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL ENGEL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of lllinois,

5 have invented a new and Improved Conductors Ticket-Case; and I hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the same. v

My invention is designed to afford by its IO use simple means to prevent the retention without detection by conductors of railroad passenger-trains of any of the money or tickets collected for fares. Railroad companies; have in the past resorted to various plans to insure proper returns from their conductors, and to prevent members of this class of their employes from converting to their own use any of the money or any of the tickets collected for fare. One such plan known to me is to f employ an inspector occasionally to board a passenger-train, unexpected by the conductor of such train, whose duty it is to submit to the 3 intruder as to a superior oflicer, by placing the train in his charge and permitting him to collect the fares. By comparison of the amount so collected with the average daily receipts of the regular conductor the company is enabled 1 to form some idea of what the receipts should be, and failure to realize these approximately 1 0 may be followed by the discharge of the conductor. This plan and analogous plans are, however, unsatisfactory for the attainment of theirpurpose. By means of my device the desired purpose above described maybe accom- 3 5 plished with the utmost accuracy, unattended with great inconvenience or ditiiculty.

My invention consists in providing receptacles in a desired number for the run of a conductor, each receptacle containing blocks of the usual checks, nmnbered in series, to be given in return for tickets or cash-fares, and attached to stubs which are locked within the receptacles; and it consists, further, in certain details of construction and combinations of 4 5 parts, all as hereinafter particularly set forth.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 represents the necessary number of my improved receptacles, provided with all the necessary details for a supposititious run oi a coir 5o ductor, placed in order in a convenient case, 1 which the conductor may keep under lock and 1 key in the baggage car; Fig. 2, a perspective view of my improved receptacle arranged for the return-trip; Fi 3, a sectional view taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2, viewed in the direction of the arrows, and showing details; Fig.

4, a sectional view on the line at 4: of Fig. 2, viewed in the direction of the arrows, and showing details; Fig. 5, a perspective view showing the rear side of a detail, and Fig. 6 a perspective view of a block of checks.

To render my improvement feasible in its purpose, it is necessary for the conductor to follow certain instructions, which are hereinafter fully explained.

A is a receptacle, in the form of an oblong shallow box, of sheet metal or other suitable material, preferably provided with transverse partitions t to afford compartments 8. The partitions t extend from the inner surface of the right side of the box to a strip, 0', placed toward the left lateral extremity of the box A, and secured at its extremities upon the opposite ends of the box. The strip 1' is provided upon its left-hand edge with a groove, one of which is also provided upon the inner face of the leftside of the box, 61' upon a strip, r, when provided as shown. Into each compartment 8 is inserted a block or package of checks, B, numbered in series, and having printed upon a portion of each the name or marks indicating the stations constituting the termini of a trip, and having the remaining portions blank to form stubs (1, preferably divided from the printed portion by transverse 8 perforations. The printed checks lie exposed to view in their respective compartments, and the stubs q extend into the space produced between the strips r and r, where they are secured and prevented from removal by a plate, 0 C, placed over them, having pins 7 projecting at. rightangles to it from its under surface and the desired distance apart, each to enter a hole provided through the block of stubs of each package.

if desired, the plate C, instead of being separate from the box A, may be hinged at one edge to the left inner side of the latter, or

I secured to it by a spring, when the pins 17 may comprise shortsharp projections extending from the under side of the plate C.

To afford still further security against the removal of the blocks B, a strip of paper may be gummed over them before adjusting the plate C. A plate, 1), of the length of the box A, and of a width to permit its being inserted between the grooves in the strips 1 and r, is provided on one surface toward its upper end with aname indicating the station from which a start is made, and the word To, fOllOWcd by the names of the succeeding stations, to coincide with the place of destination printed upon the checks in the compartments 8. This plate D is provided with the same names, in reverse order, upon its opposite surface, as shown in Fig. 2. 711cm the blocks B have been placed into their respective compart ments 8, and secured from withdrawal in the manner above described, the plate D, which is provided at its lower extremity with a tongue, 0, is slid to its full length between the grooves in the parts 7 and 1",causing the tongue 0 to project through a slit in a projection, 0, extending upward from the end of the box A in line with the tongue, when it is locked in position, to prevent its removal, by means of a padlockm, inserted through an opening provided through the projecting portion of the tongue 0.

The manner of accomplishing the desired purpose by the use of my invention is as follows: To illustrate, suppose a certain run to begin and terminate between Chicago and South Bend, Indiana, between which points there are ten stations at which stops are made. The conductor is provided with ten boxes, A, of equal size, which he may keep, for the sake of convenience and order, in a case, E, suitably arranged to accommodate them, and which case he may keep locked up in a suitable receptacle located in the baggagecar. The first box A contains in the first compartment a block of, say, fifty checks, numbered from the top down, and marked Chicago to Englewood. The checks in the second compartment are marked Chicago to South Chicago, the next station. and so on for each station-until thelast, marked Chicago to South Bend, the names of the terminal stations under the words Chicago to being marked upon the plate D at points to cause them to coincide with the appropriate checks. This being the first box, when the conductor starts to collect fares and take up the tickets he carries this box, delivering to each passenger, in return for a ticket, pass, or cash-fare a check showing the starting-point and destination, this check be ing analogous to that commonly provided by the conductor and placed by him upon the hat of the passenger, and which check should be punched to avoid its being used again, andis recollecled. The second box A which the conductor takes from the case E al'ter returning the first box to its place in the case, when about to collect fares and tickets from passengers who shall have boarded the train at the second station-Englcwood-begins with checks marked Englewood to the dilt'erent succeeding stations at which stops are made,

the plate 1) being arranged to correspond.

This is used in the manner described of the first box, after which itis returned to its place in the case E. and the next box A, beginning with the next station, taken at. the proper time, and so on until the end of the run.

It will be noticed that by the arrangement otboxes hereinbefore described each box, after the first, will contain one empty compartment more than the preceding one, causing for the last station only one compartment to be used. This need not be so, however, if the arrangement be such as is represented in Fig. 1 of the drawings, wherein, as the number of stations at which stoppages will have to be made decreases, the boxes may be condensed to employ all the compartments by dividing them up in a manner to answer the purpose of two stoppages, as shown in the boxes marked 5 in Fig. 1 of the drawings. As it frequently is the case that there is much more traveling to one station, or to several stations, of a run than to the others, otherwise empty compartments will be of service to accommodate blocks of checks B of the kind already represented in other compartments, thus avoiding exhaustion of the supply on the run, and such provision should be made for all prominent stations.

()n reaching the end of his trip the conductor hands in his case E, together with all tickets collected, at the proper quarter, and receives in return, at the proper time, a similar case, or the same case, with boxesprovided with checks having the printed matter upon them arranged in reverse order, as shown in Fig. 2, the plates D, when the same boxes are returned, being simply turned over and inserted into place.

Inspection of the conductors receipts upon each trip is made by the proper person, who compares the number oftickets, each of which is, of course, marked with the places from and to which the holder is entitled to ride, with the number of checks taken from the corresponding compartments 8, any discrepancy being counted as a cash-fare, with which the conductor is charged, and for which heis obliged to account.

The object in locking the plate 1) is to pre vent its removal to permit the substitution of blocks of checks B by an unauthorized person. If it shall ever occur that no provision shall have been made to have the conductors case inspected by a proper otficial at the end ofa run, and refilled for the return-trip, theconductor may be provided with a case of double boxes or with twosets of boxes, to answer for the round trip. The boxes A may, however, be made double, when desired, to permit the use of one for two stations, by increasing the width of the sides of the box and placing a partition in the center, whereby each side shall constitute a box provided with the desired compartments and other necessary features. In using a box of the above description acover should be provided to fit over the checks on the side not being used, to keep them in place.

My invention is not by any means confined IIS to its useupon short runs, since by the cona cover for the compartment, provided with densiug process hereinbefore described the boxes need not be cumbersome, and, by thccontwo boxes of the construction last; referred to together, to constitute fourin one, and permit their being folded to occupy the least possible space.

A still further saving may be made in the a case of suburban trains for traveling various short distances, on which thereis no variation in tlfe charge for fare, by providing'checks for one compartment 8 having only the starting-station and the extreme of such distances marked upon them and on the plate D.

are punched, no check need be given but for passes, valid for a certain length of time, or for a continuous trip beyond the conductors run receipts should be given by the holders to the conductor in return for checks, the con ductor being provided with blank receipts for the purpose, and when given for half-cash fares the conductor should note such half-fare in an appropriate book or record, which would also be used to note mileage-tickets received.

The fact of a stop-over check being given to a passenger may be marked in some apprpriate way on the ticket itself.

it may be found desirable, in the case. of

trains having a very long run, in which they remain in charge of the same conductor, and which trains stop at every or nearly every station, to provide a box, A, only for prominent stations, to contain large supplics ot' checks B, and to be used in connection with the other boxes, containing in each compartment 8 the necessary number of checks for each station other than the prominent stations referred to.

'hat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is a 1. A conductors ticket-case comprising a box provided toward one side with a comp-art ment to receive the stubs attached to tickets placed in the box, a retaining-strip to fit within the compartment and engage with the I stubs to secure them from displacement, and I means for locking it in its positiomas and for the purpose set forth. v 2'. A device for use in producmg correctaccounting by passengertrain conductors 't'or cash-fares and tickets received by them, comdenote starting-points and destinations, and

attached to stubs q, lying within the said boxes beyond the said compartments 8, a plate, (3, to rest upon the said stubs, and provided with 'PIQ-itCilOllS p to penetrate the said stubs, a plate, D, to cover the plate 0, '65 v and means for locking the plate D'to prevent its removal, substantially as described.

Of course, for comtnutation tickets, which 3. A device for use in producing correct accounting by passengentrain conductors for cash-fares and tickets received by them, comr at one end of the said compartments, and

secured toward 'their extremities to the op posite ends of the boxes A, and provided each with a longitudinal groove to lie opposite a similar groove formed on the inner face of the side of each box, stubsq, attached to So the checks B, and lying within the spaces formed by a strip, r, and 'side of each box, plates C, to rest upon the said stubs, and pro vidcd each on its under surface with pro ectious p to penetrate the said stubs, a plate, 0,

for each box, to be inserted within the'grooves providedin the strip 1' and the side of the said box, the said plate having upon it distinguishing marks to correspond with the said distinguishing marks upon the checks B, and provided with a perforated tongue to project through a slit formed in the end of the box A, and a padlock, n, hanging from the said tongu substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

SAMUEL EXGEL. In presence of- DOUGLAS DYRENFORTH, U. C. LtNTHIcnu. 

